LNG Vessel Docks at Teesport

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

PD Ports welcomed the arrival of U.S.A based Excelerate Energy’s first fullLNG vessel, since the regasification facility opened at Teesport in 2007.

The liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanker, named after its owners, Excelerate, entered the Tees River in the early hours of Monday 13th April. The vessel, which stands some 909 ft in length, was carrying 58,500 tonnes of LNG. The vessel had sailed from Point Fortin in Trinidad.

The vessel is currently berthed on the purpose built Excelerate jetty at Teesport, where she will remain for up to two weeks. During this time she will re-gasify her cargo and discharge the finished LNG into the UK gas grid – the National Transmission System (NTS).

The Teesside GasPort facility at Teesport allows Excelerate Energy to deliver, at peak rates, of up to 600 million cubic feet of natural gas per day to the UK market.

The arrival of the earlier initial LNG cargo at Teesport in 2007, marked the first-ever dockside regasification port facility in the world and only the second operational LNG facility in the UK. This Teesside model was highly successful and has since been reproduced worldwide.

This regasification technology enables a quick and cost-effective way to create new market access for LNG supplies. Dockside regasification is a milestone for the LNG industry.

Martyn Pellew, PD Ports group development director, said “The UK energy market has been highly volatile over the past two years. Oil prices peaked in 2008 at three times current levels. Traditional coal based energy power stations are running into issues about pollution as the UK & EU Governments set aggressive targets on CO2 emission levels. In 2008 the UK Secretary of State for Business and Enterprise, John Hutton, called for the UK to have a balanced energy portfolio and LNG is potentially a very important part of that balance. We are therefore delighted to see Excelerate bring the Excelerate vessel to Teesport this week.”